Great Pandemic Research Articles

Community and Care: Black Civil Society and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 in the United States

Abstract During the deadliest pandemic of the twentieth century, the Great Influenza pandemic of 1918–1920, African Americans in the United States appeared to be an especially vulnerable population. The health effects of racialized segregation, produced by congested housing conditions, environmental racism, and exclusion from or discrimination in healthcare services, threatened a devastating situation during the second wave of the pandemic in late 1918. This paper argues that a network of Black civil society organizations and activists sprang into action to ameliorate the worst effects of this public health emergency, and that it was able to provide care and relief that would have largely been denied by white-led public and private institutions. This network had been built up in the preceding decades and can therefore serve as an important model and informational resource in utilizing community-centered planning to prepare marginalized peoples for the spread of pandemic disease.

The Structuration of Positive Communication Experiences: The Case of the Great Resignation

The Great Resignation and COVID-19 pandemic are two extended crises marked by organizational change and employee turnover. This study examines the positive organizational communication experiences that influenced employee retention during this time of organizational crisis. Data for this research were collected through 25 semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a phronetic iterative approach. Through the use of structuration theory, the findings indicated that participants’ positive experiences of organizational communication transformed into reasons to stay with their workplaces during a time of extended crisis. Participants identified how organizational structures were reaffirmed or changed as employees and leaders utilized different resources and created new rules for interaction. Findings of this study show how positive organizational communication experiences can mitigate negative experiences and strengthen employee retention. During crises, organizations and their leaders should focus on fostering connection, belonging, and open communication among all employees.

Glocal Spanish Influenza

In order to understand the dimensions and consequences of the Spanish flu, the great influenza pandemic of 1918-1920, it is necessary to carry out analytical research at the local and regional level, in order to compare the results with similar research carried out in other national and international contexts. The Glocal Spanish Influenza project focuses on the case of Tuscany and aims to reconstruct both the number of deaths and the number of sick peoplemortality and morbidity figures, as well as the institutional responses to the crisis, the political consequences, collec- tive behaviour, memories and displacements. Here we present two contributions by Roberto Bianchi, who compares the Spanish flu and Covid-19, and by Giovanni Gozzini, who analyses the numbers of the Spanish flu.

Cities’ Hands Are Tied: Short-Term Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Natural Population Growth in Metropolitan Greece

To delineate new directions of urban development in a context of demographic shrinkage in Southern Europe, the present study illustrates a comparative analysis of the demographic balance in metropolitan Athens, Greece (1956–2021). The analysis delineates short-term and long-term dynamics of the natural population balance, considering the impact of the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic, and assuming a contemporary increase in gross mortality rates and a marked fertility reduction associated with birth postponement. To address such objectives, we have compared the natural growth of population (the ratio of the total number of births to deaths) at ten year intervals (1956, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2009, 2019, 2020, 2021) in 115 municipalities of metropolitan Athens, controlling for the local context. The empirical results of descriptive statistics, spatial analysis, correlation statistics, non-parametric inference, and exploratory multivariate techniques outline the indirect impact of COVID-19 on population dynamics, being in some ways additive to the already observed effects of the Great Recession, reinforcing demographic shrinkage in specific local contexts. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Great Crisis likely accelerated the typical outcomes (population aging and low fertility) of the second demographic transition in Greece. These dynamics are associated with more volatile (and possibly reduced) immigration flows and with enhanced emigration, fueling urban shrinkage and a progressive economic decline of metropolitan regions, as our evidence suggests for Athens. Additional research should ascertain the aggregate, indirect role of pandemics in population dynamics as a proxy of urban and regional decline in European regions exposed to long-term aging.

The Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing the Level of Public Compliance with Infection Control Measures during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in Italy: A Historical Approach.

During health emergencies, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are adopted in various combinations until a vaccine can be produced and widely administered. Containment strategies, including the closure of schools, churches, and dance halls; banning of mass gatherings; mandatory mask wearing; isolation; and disinfection/hygiene measures, require reasonable compliance to be successfully implemented. But what are the most effective measures? To date, few systematic studies have been conducted on the effects of various interventions used in past epidemics/pandemics. Important contributions to our understanding of these questions can be obtained by investigating the historical data from the great influenza pandemic of 1918, an event widely considered one of the greatest natural disasters in human history. Taking on particular importance is the study of the possible role played by the behaviour of the population and the lack of public obedience to the non-pharmaceutical interventions in a Mediterranean country like Italy-one of the most affected countries in Europe-during that pandemic, with special attention paid to the weight of the socio-cultural factors which hindered the ultimate goal of containing the spread of the virus and preventing excess deaths in the country.

Overview of Emerging Viruses, Other Viruses and Great Pandemic of the 21st Century

The 21st century witnessed the emergence of pivotal viral outbreaks, shaping global health and demanding robust responses. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Influenza H1N1 pdm 2009 (swine flu), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic reshaped public health strategies, emphasizing international collaboration and preparedness. Alongside these major pandemics, viruses like Ebola, Zika, Chikungunya, and Dengue garnered attention due to their significant impacts. Each virus posed unique challenges, affecting diverse regions and populations globally. Understanding their origins, transmission, symptoms, impacts, and control measures has been crucial. These outbreaks underscored the necessity for proactive global health measures, highlighting the interconnectedness of healthcare systems and the imperative for coordinated responses to mitigate the effects of emerging infectious diseases, shaping a new paradigm for future preparedness and response strategies.

Pedagogy of the great pandemic of the 21st century: Epistemic implications for individual psychology, family science, and psychotherapies

AbstractAs an effect of the severe health crisis caused by COVID‐19, lockdown constituted a psychosocial laboratory that represented an experiment on a global scale. The lessons from the research findings in the pandemic environment have been of enormous importance to the disciplines of human behavior. This paper explores two themes evidenced in this context: people's psychological well‐being is underpinned by a socio‐emotional network, and the most frequent psychological symptoms experienced in the pandemic are a socio‐political problem; in particular it was observed that women reported greater discomfort than men in that period, showing with it that gender inequality remains a structural malaise. The conclusion points to two issues. First, an individualistic psychology is impossible without social content, especially in the collective affectivity, where the person participates. Second, psychotherapists should contemplate, in diagnosis and intervention, the socio‐emotional and political context in which the symptomatology appears. The focus of this article is based on systemic third‐order thinking, from where the socio‐economic and cultural structural order is closely linked to identity, well‐being, or personal discomfort.

“It’s Bad Enough I’m Black…But Disabled Too?!”: A Qualitative Exploration of After-COVID-19 Experiences for Black College Men Living with Disabilities

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of Black college men living with disabilities, namely ADHD and/or depression, as defined by DSM-5. Using naturalistic methods and a semi-structured interview protocol, we focused on understanding their experiences during the Great Pandemic (COVID-19) and the implications for campus support services in a post-COVID-19 era. The key implications for future research, policy, and practice are highlighted.

Buffering Anxiety of Pandemics: A Post-pandemic Perspective to Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion

This interdisciplinary study aims to explore the psychological impact of pandemics in cinema with a special reference to Steven Soderbergh’s movie Contagion. The study refers to Orhan Pamuk’s essay, “What the Great Pandemic Novels Teach Us” (2020), about Pandemic novels where he traces the common initial responses to the outbreak of a pandemic by comparing the current coronavirus pandemic and the historical outbreaks of plague and cholera pinpointing the traits attributed to pandemics and suggesting other psychological defense mechanisms. In this respect, the study attempts exploring the re-contextualization of Pamuk’s ideologies in cinema through shedding the light on the functions of camera angle shots, colors, sound effects, point of view, and flashbacks.

Engaging with the Great Pandemic War: Citizens, Artists, Academics

Facing the Australian experience of the global Great Pandemic of the virus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV-2), known as the resultant disease, Covid-19, many citizens, including artists, writers and academics, engaged through analytical and creative works. Many of us have become 'citizen scientists', different from "Facebook Certified Experts”, denialists and anti-vaxxers who declare that they have "done my research" ... often on YouTube or Google sites. Seeing “Our Pandemic Zeitgeist”, a warlike experience, through the lens of my own engagements as a prose poet diarising our stories, a painter escaping the pandemic, one of several researchers advocating better health policies, and a trench warrior against Facebook pandemic fantasists, this account offers a distinctive perspective.

A járványokról történeti, környezeti és földrajzi szempontból

Analysing some of the major pandemics in history (plague, smallpox, cholera, and influenza), this study examines the causes of their outbreak and their effects on human society, as well as on the natural environment. The animal origin of the majority of infectious diseases is considered proven by most specialists. In several cases, persistent weather changes also played a role in the outbreaks of pandemics, causing famines. The development of a society, including crowdedness in cities, the development of trade and transport, and the expansion of human relations have played a decisive role in the spread of pandemics, while wars deepen the consequences of diseases. The spread of pandemics is shown on maps and the first successful medical geography research in history is analysed. Severe pandemics have hindered the development of particular societies, which, in turn, leads to the regeneration of nature. Finally, the lessons that can be learned from the great pandemics in history are discussed, which can provide clues regarding how to prevent and control new epidemics.

Quasispecies Nature of RNA Viruses: Lessons from the Past.

Viral quasispecies are distinct but closely related mutants formed by the disparity in viral genomes due to recombination, mutations, competition, and selection pressure. Theoretical derivation for the origin of a quasispecies is owed to the error-prone replication by polymerase and mutants of RNA replicators. Here, we briefly addressed the theoretical and mathematical origin of quasispecies and their dynamics. The impact of quasispecies for major salient human pathogens is reviewed. In the current global scenario, rapid changes in geographical landscapes favor the origin and selection of mutants. It comes as no surprise that a cauldron of mutants poses a significant risk to public health, capable of causing pandemics. Mutation rates in RNA viruses are magnitudes higher than in DNA organisms, explaining their enhanced virulence and evolvability. RNA viruses cause the most devastating pandemics; for example, members of the Orthomyxoviridae family caused the great influenza pandemic (1918 flu or Spanish flu), the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) outbreak, and the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV), lentiviruses of the Retroviridae family, caused worldwide devastation. Rapidly evolving RNA virus populations are a daunting challenge for the designing of effective control measures like vaccines. Developing awareness of the evolutionary dispositions of RNA viral mutant spectra and what influences their adaptation and virulence will help curtail outbreaks of past and future pathogens.

Health care outcomes due to incidents of burnout in Asia: A literature review

Introduction: Stress is a part of life that is considered one of the great pandemics of the 21th century. At work, stress can affect health, personal well-being and job satisfaction, and in severe cases can trigger burnout syndrome. Factors that cause burnout including personal factors, workload excessive, and the quality of the work environment that do not support. Methods: This research uses literature study design from an international database, namely PubMed with the keywords used "burnout", "health workers", and "cross sectional". Result and Discussion: There have been 1942 journals in the last 10 years. After that, the year of publication and language screening were carried out in 399 journals, then the researchers identified screening titles, abstracts, and complete copies of 46 journals and selected accordingly with the inclusion criteria so that 13 articles will be reviewed in this literature review. Conclusion: It was found that burnout has a negative impact on health services as well as on the quality of life of health workers.

Retrospective analysis of the use of benzodiazepines in anxiety disorders

in times of great social shocks, economic crises, epidemics and pandemics, military conflicts, usually can be observed the spread of such a group of psychological diseases as anxiety disorders (ADs). ADs are a widespread group of human behavior disorders characterized by a wide range of symptoms that cause significant changes in behavior and reduce the patient's quality of life and may lead to deterioration of his social activity. This group of diseases includes a number of behavioral disorders, the characteristic feature of which is the patient's feeling of fear and/or anxiety, which is usually an excessive and unmotivated reaction to a stimulus or an event that caused them. As a result of the analysis of available data, it was revealed that benzodiazepines are actively used as second-line drugs in ADs pharmacotherapy. The pharmacological effect of this group of medications is associated with an agonistic interaction with GABAA receptors of the central nervous system. It has also been established that this group of drugs is an effective element of complex therapy together with antidepressants or as monotherapy of such ADs as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), selective mutism (SM) etc. During ADs therapy with benzodiazepines, a number of side effects, such as excessive sedation, cognitive impairment, and psychomotor disorder of coordination of movements, have been identified. This group of drugs requires special caution when used in elderly patients due to possible excessive sedation and impaired cognitive function. But if the recommended course of treatment is followed, benzodiazepines are a safe to use group of drugs that have a wide spectrum of pharmacological action. The purpose of this work was to study the available data on the pharmacological properties of benzodiazepine anxiolytics for the purpose of their use in the pharmacotherapy of diseases belonging to the ADs group. To achieve this goal, publications and articles devoted to ADs pharmacotherapy methods were reviewed and analyzed. Materials were searched using the databases Pud Med and Google Scholar.

Mortality Differentials, the Racial and Ethnic Retirement Wealth Gap, and the Great Pandemic

Mortality Differentials, the Racial and Ethnic Retirement Wealth Gap, and the Great Pandemic

A Proposal for the Cause of the Next Great Pandemic and Recommendations for Preparing to Survive It

A Proposal for the Cause of the Next Great Pandemic and Recommendations for Preparing to Survive It

COVID and Gender: A Narrative Review of the Asia-Pacific Region.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the largest infectious disease epidemic to affect the human race since the great influenza pandemic of 1918-19 and is close to approaching the number of deaths from the earlier epidemic. A review of available data and the numerous currently available studies on COVID-19 shows that the rate of clinical cases is about 10% greater in females than males in Asia. However, the number of deaths is greater in males than in females. Women are more likely to experience the psychological effects of COVID-19 during and after acute infections. A significant proportion of acute COVID-19 infections continue and their prolonged symptoms have been reported. Further studies are needed, including detailed serology, to measure and monitor the incidence of COVID-19. The pandemic has had a widespread impact on broader societies including shortages of food, lockdowns and isolation. The number of orphans in developing countries has increased. Women have had to bear the major impacts of these community effects. More research is required to develop better vaccines acting against new strains of the virus and to develop systems to distribute vaccines to all people.

Great pandemics in the history of humanity

Great pandemics in the history of humanity

Emotional Contagion Scale and Mental Health Status during the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic, National Assessment.

This great pandemic of COVID-19 has been a unique stressor that affected all communities in 2020. This study aims to examine the prevalence of anxiety and depression due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia and to study the emotional cognition scale in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 857 inhabitants randomly selected from the 13 administrative regions of Saudi Arabia, using a validated self-administrated questionnaire comprising six sections. The collected data were summarized and analyzed. Among the majority of the studied participants, 377 (44.0%) were aged from 35 to less than 50 y. There were 489 (57.1%) females and 368 (42.9%) males, 616 (71.9%) Saudi nationals, 715 (83.4%) university-educated or postgraduate, 619 (72.2%) unmarried and 238 (27.8%) married, and 663 (77.4%) living in areas under partial lockdown. The resultant elevated total depression score was statistically significant (p<0.05) for the following: participants younger than 35y, females, Saudis, those with lower education levels, those who were married, students, those with work suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic, and amongst those who experienced complete lockdown. Among the majority of the studied participants, 355 (41.2%) showed mild depression, and 281(32.6) showed moderate anxiety, and were in the growth zone. In addition, the elevated total anxiety score was statistically significant (p<0.05) amongst the following; younger participants, females, Saudi nationals, those with lower educational levels, those who were unmarried, students, those with telework, and those with no curfew. The adverse mental health effects were more prevalent among particular groups of the population, such as females, adults under 35 years old, students, those with lower educational attainments, and those suffering from chronic illnesses. Anxiety was significantly correlated with depression. The practice of preventive measures, e.g., wearing masks, and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, may have had psychological benefits during the pandemic. We assessed the mental health status in Saudi Arabia during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mild depression and moderate anxiety were prevalent problems, with many determinants and interrelations. Fear was the most infectious emotion, while happiness was the highest.

Fiscal Federalism and K–12 Education Funding: Policy Lessons from Two Educational Crises

We synthesize and critique federal fiscal policy during the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic. First, the amount of aid during both crises was inadequate to meet policy goals. Second, the mechanisms used to distribute funds were disconnected from policy goals and provided different levels of aid to districts with equivalent levels of economic disadvantage. Third, data tools are missing, making it difficult to understand whether funds were used to meet policy goals. Details for these results are provided along with policy recommendations.